BeritaSatu Fundraiser Provides Protective Gear for Medical Workers

Jakarta. BeritaSatu Media Holdings, or BSMH, has raised money to arm medical workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic with adequate personal protective equipment.

On Wednesday, BSMH donated a total of 320 N95 respiratory masks to Fatmawati Hospital in South Jakarta.

The hospital's president director, Mochammad Syafak Hanung, received the donation from BSMH Chief Executive Nicky Hogan.

Nicky said the masks were part of the media group's first batch of donation for Covid-19 hospitals.

As long as the hospitals still need PPE, BSMH will continue to raise more money to buy them.

BSMH has also been supporting the government's pandemic mitigation efforts by providing in-depth information on coronavirus risks and prevention through its television channels and print and online media.

"We're using the #BersatuMelawanCorona hashtag to keep the public well-informed about the latest development on the pandemic – including on prevention, information on [referral] hospitals and what to do if people suspect they have the virus," he said.

300 Masks a Day

According to Syafak, Fatmawati Hospital needs on average around 200–300 masks a day.

He said how many units of protective gear they need will depend on the duration of the pandemic.

In the beginning, the Covid-19 referral hospital struggled to provide masks for its doctors and staff as the price of N95 masks skyrocketed from Rp 50,000 ($3.35) to Rp 400,000.

The hospital has been relying on donations to buy more PPE for the doctors and staff.

Currently, a total of 66 Covid-19 patients are receiving treatment at the hospital. They are kept in negative pressure rooms on temporary ventilators.

The sixth floor of the hospital is now being renovated to provide 43 extra intensive care beds.

Patients with less severe symptoms will receive treatment on the first three floors of the hospital.

The hospital will soon have a total of 211 beds reserved for Covid-19 patients, Syafak said.